About the job

Job summary

Diverse Perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We look forward to receiving your application.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Keeping people safe and healthy matters and that’s what we do at the Health and Safety Executive. Every day, everyone on the team contributes to protecting lives and we apply our expertise to help influence change in mindsets about health and safety throughout industry. We undertake world-class science to build our knowledge about safe working practices, and then apply that understanding to the workplace, guiding every part of the economy to function safely. And when accidents happen, we investigate and hold those at fault to account whilst ensuring that lessons are learnt across industries. We are a modern, independent, data drive Regulator and we are proud to have made Great Britain one of the safest places to work in the world.

Technology, data, and digital services underpins everything that HSE does. We are a knowledge organisation, with a wealth of experience in keeping people safe. It is the responsibility of the Information and Technology Services Division (ITS) Division to ensure that everyone in the organisation can access our data and information, to share it and to use it to make effective decisions. We support over 3000 colleagues working in a hybrid style at home and in 26 offices across Great Britain. Our services keep inspectors functioning effectively and efficiently on industrial sites nationwide, from oil platforms in the North Sea to our deepest mines and quarries.

We strive to constantly improve the technologies and services supporting the organisation. Our end user computing devices are leading edge, and we are making significant progress in delivering new cloud-based services. Our service management and information management services are very highly regarded within the organisation and pride themselves on excellent customer service. Our commercial team has built strong relationships with suppliers and our project management team is embedded in our corporate change programme, transforming the older legacy systems that have underpinned the organisation for a long time.

We are a learning team, and everyone is encouraged to undertake training, development and courses that will keep them and the team current and excited by new opportunities. The team works well because everyone’s contributions and ideas are listened to and valued, and we can only grow and improve if there is an enthusiasm to explore our disciplines and try new ways of working.

Job description

The Central Information Disclosure team is part of the Information Governance and Compliance Team within the Health and Safety Executives (HSE) Information Technology and Services Division. The Information Governance and Compliance team have responsibility for managing HSE’s information disclosure service, in addition to several other core functions which includes the Data Protection Officer function, Information Assurance and Security, and the development of an Information Governance framework for HSE.

The role of the Central Disclosure team is to effectively manage a range of information requests from internal and external customers, ensuring that the HSE remains compliant with its statutory obligations under UK information law.

As a Central Disclosure Officer, you will operate in a customer service environment and will be responsible for logging information requests received by HSE and for making an assessment on the most appropriate disclosure regime including the Data Protection Act (DPA), Freedom of Information Act (FOI), Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and Civil Procedure Rules. You will be responsible for providing professional, accurate and consistent responses to customers within statutory deadlines.

If your chosen office location is not our headquarters in Bootle, you will be required to attend up to 2 times per week which may include overnight stays. If you require any reasonable adjustments with this requirement, this will be discussed with your line manager if you are successful at interview.

Please consider if the commute from your home to the Bootle office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. For further information about HSE locations please click here.

At HSE, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work. There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities e.g., collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues. If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, the arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.

Part time working hours are available for this role. We can accept part time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 30 hours Per week

Person specification

Working within HSE’s Central Disclosure Team, your role will include assessing information requested for disclosure under information rights legislation. You will work collaboratively with internal stakeholders to obtain accurate and relevant information. You will ensure responses to requests for information are professional, accurate and answered within statutory deadlines.  You will work with other central disclosure staff to deliver HSE’s statutory obligations under information rights legislation. Your role will be to:

1. Accurately collate, digest and interpret relevant information to identify appropriate disclosure regimes and correctly triage and clarify requests, seeking guidance and advice where required. Access and assess all available information to complete early resolution checks
2. Liaise with internal stakeholders to obtain accurate and relevant information to formulate responses to requests for information under FOI, EIR, DPA and Civil Procedure legislation
3. Produce high quality formal responses to requests for information within statutory deadlines by managing personal caseload and contributions from internal stakeholders
4. Accurately prepare information for disclosure to the customer, ensuring it is in the correct format and sensitive information has been redacted where appropriate, meeting FOI, EIR and DPA/GDPR standards

Diligently document within relevant case management systems, contact information, case notes and all other relevant details to ensure cases are correctly logged and responded to appropriately and within timescales. e.g. government bodies such as ICO and the Cabinet Office, regularly communicating and engaging, including attending conferences/discussions to share knowledge and experience

We are looking for a motivated and talented individual with the commitment to go through a development programme to build on their skills and knowledge in information disclosure regimes.

Essential Criteria:

You must be able to demonstrate the following:

• Good written and verbal communication skills to convey information in a clear and concise way
• The ability to log and record information appropriately in the correct systems
• Good organisational and time management skills
• Analytical skills to digest and interpret information from a range of sources
• Ability to use your own initiative, intuition and communication skills

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £22,845, Health and Safety Executive contributes £6,168 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application Information

Please complete your anonymised CV detailing your employment history, skills and experience.

At the application stage you will complete your CV and complete a Personal Statement of no more than 500 words, demonstrating how you fulfil the criteria for this role as stated in the essential criteria above.

At the application stage you will also be asked to complete a 250 word behaviour-based application as stated in the job advert.

For guidance on how to apply and how to complete an application, please visit Civil Service Careers (opens in a new window).

Sift Information

At Sift you will be assessed on your CV, Personal Statement and the behaviour listed in the job advert. In the event of a high number of applications at sift, we will assess on the lead behaviour only. Candidates who pass the initial sift on the lead behaviour may progress to a full sift or be progressed straight to interview.

The Sift will take place from the 31st January 2024.

Interview information

At interview, you will be assessed against the three behaviours detailed within the job advert. 

Interviews will take place w/c 5th February 2024.

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams.

Please note that dependent on numbers of applications received these dates could be subject to change.

Further Information

Regular travel to Bootle will be required.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application.

For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached document.

Any move to HSE from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at here

If you have a disability and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk

Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further; Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.